I’m one of those people who doesn’t just say she loves chocolate and eats it every day but actually doesn’t. I really do love chocolate and eat it every day. Because of this, I’m a little bit snobby when it comes to chocolate because if I’m going to eat it so much, I need to eat smaller portions and those smaller portions better taste really good and satisfy. The other trick, for me, is to have chocolate that does not contain gluten, which can often be hard to find.

Dagoba became one of my favourite chocolate bars because they were relatively small, had the most amazing flavours (I loved the Blueberry one!) and were certified gluten-free! Then when I began to bake cookies, I needed chocolate chips and discovered Dagoba made the most amazing, huge, dark chocolate chips that were also gluten free! Then when the drinking chocolate started showing up everywhere, I wish I could take part but couldn’t until I discovered Dagoba makes the best dark drinking chocolate that is gluten-free!

Needless to say, Dagoba is my new BFF.

The dark chocolate has a wonderful taste and texture with no chalky aftertaste. And despite it being a dark chocolate, it isn’t so bitter that you wouldn’t enjoy it – you will. Start with a chocolate bar if you’re not sure (lemon, cherries, hot pepper?!) and then graduate up. But I would suggest that you buy the Gift Box for $40 which includes 4 bars, Hot Chocolate, Cacao Powder and Baking Drops. Your sweet tooth will thank you.

BUY AT: Dagoba

Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day and I firmly believe that a good breakfast should include the four major food groups: waffles, syrup, butter and tea. However, over the last few years my breakfasts have been rather sad as I haven’t been able to eat waffles. Or, if I could find a gluten-free waffle mix they were always too dense, too cakey or just too terrible to eat.

But breakfast is once again beautiful thanks to Namaste Gluten-Free Pancake & Waffle Mix. Oh. My. Word are these the best waffles – I’ve even served them to those who can eat regular waffles and they’re converted to these. They’re light, they bake crisp and moist, and the taste? UNbelievable.

All you need to add is water, eggs, a little oil and mix. For non-morning people, this is an easy thing to do. I end up putting a little more water into my mix so that it’s not as thick for my waffle machine and they come out amazingly well. I haven’t tried them in the 5th food group yet – pancakes. That sounds like a good way to start the day tomorrow…!

BUY AT: Amazon, Whole Foods and Namaste Foods

It’s only fair to celebrate this site’s five year anniversary with cake – and gluten-free at that! For those of you who remember its (humble) beginnings on my personal site as “Alex’s A-List” in January 2002, thank you for continuing to read! For those of who have only discovered it since it became it’s own site as Pet the Pretty Things, I’ll have another anniversary to celebrate with you because I need more reasons to keep ordering Mama Z’s Gluten-Free Cake!I discovered Crave Bakery on my recent trip to San Francisco and, after one bite, realised they had the perfect name. Unlike most gluten-free baked goods which can be dry, nasty and hardly ever have frosting, this one is moist, rich and oh so creamy. Containing just a few organic ingredients it combines taste with quality. And the quality is so good you would honestly never be able to tell it’s gluten-free. Which is all the more reason to find as many reasons as possible to celebrate!

BUY AT: Crave Bakery

BUY AT: Blue Teapot

I don’t buy jewellery. I don’t buy shoes. But oh how I buy tea and lately most of it seems to be coming not from England but from a little tea shop in Vancouver BC.

It seems I can’t get enough of their Roobios (naturally decaffeinated, good for teeth enamel and overall health) teas – especially the Strawberry Cream, Carmello and Chai Massai. Their green tea’s, such as Japanese Treasures and Energy Booster are just as good (love them as an afternoon pick me up).

Their teas smell amazing, taste great and are packaged fresh. If you call them, make sure to ask for recommendations or new teas they have in (and if you’re bold, ask for their popcorn tea. I was not so bold!). I start with their smallest size bag to try the teas (and I keep the bags in air-tight containers once home) then purchase large sizes once I’m in-love (hullo again strawberry cream!).

BUY AT: Rishi-Tea or Whole Foods

I love tea. No wait. I adore tea. I also adore fair trade products. However, I often find it really hard to find really great tasting tea that is fair trade. That is why I’m adoring Rishi-Tea’s new Fair Trade Masala Chai in their pretty little silver (and stackable) tins.

Chai is being thrown around so much that it’s almost become sysnonymous with sweet and Starbucks. But it’s actually a black tea that’s had lots of spices added to it and has a rich, flavour made creamy by all the hot milk you add. And this is the perfect loose chai tea; you can actually see and smell the spices in the tin.

Whilst brewing, the smell is divine and it continues when you pour it into a cup. It’s my morning pick me up not just because of the caffine but because the warm, rich flavours feel so cosy on a cold morning. Besides, this tea does something good for my belly and something good for those who participate in Free Trade. Now that’s something worth drinking to.

BUY AT: Jay Robb or Whole Foods

Now, let me first say that in general, I don’t like bars. Not just the taste but the idea of them. I don’t think its a good idea to replace meals with a bar – especially when bars have 15 bazillion chemicals in them. No my friends, that is not a good time. And all those chemicals don’t taste like roast beef and pie, people. I normally do not trust bars at all. But there are times I find myself needing a snack or something to eat and a bar would be a perfect solution, especially since I can’t eat gluten and finding a quick snack can be hard. Especially on road trips.

Enter Jay Robb Bars. Basic, whole ingredients, no chemicals, no weird after taste. Chewy, filling, Gluten-Free and lovely! Look at what’s inside: Organic almond butter, organic agave syrup, whey protein isolate, whey protein crisps (whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, tapioca starch, calcium carbonate), hydrolyzed whey protein isolate, xylitol, arabic gum, rice bran, cocoa, water, natural flavors, vanilla, and sea salt.

Yes, we can eat that. Yes, our bodies will understand how to digest that. Yes, we will love the taste of it. Yes, we won’t buy those scary other bars that are “sweet cherry rhubarb chocolate” flavoured anymore, will we?

The only cavet is that these bars are hard to find in stores. I only found them at the Brentwood CA Whole Foods in Los Angeles and haven’t had luck in any other state thus far. So I’m ordering a box so I can have them on hand when I’m out and about and not sure when I’ll get a chance to eat or on a road trip when I’d rather have something wholesome and actually filling than fries that will outlast time.

BUY AT: Blue Sky & Whole Foods

Sometimes I’m left with little energy and need some kind of perk. But there are two problems with this: one I’m allergic to gluten which seems to be in everything and second, I don’t handle caffine very well. Oh, I also don’t like to have drinks that are made with 1.2 bazillion chemicals. So Coke, Coffee, & Red Bull are out for me. What’s a girl to do?

Drink Blue Energy. I swear, I am a convert! Gluten-free it’s packed full of Vitimin B12 & B6 which make you feel great and give you energy naturally. The list of ingridients is so short and actually really healthy – which is why Whole Foods carries it. You know how they check out labels.

Blue Energy really helps me when I need a kick without leaving me feeling jittery or shakey. Best of all, there is no “come down” period, there’s no addiction and there’s no weird feelings either drinking it or not. And the taste! I happen to love it – it’s sweet and yummy and oh so good.

I have been converting friends to this all over town and they’ll all say the same thing. So skip those high sugar, high chemical, too jittery drinks and get some natural energy.

BUY AT: Laloo’s

So, if a little thing called “global warming” hadn’t occured, then the old adage “you don’t need air conditioning when you live at the beach” might be true. But with way above average temperatures and 50% humidity and a flat that has no air conditioning, things in this beach town aren’t pretty.

What’s a girl to do? Especially if she can’t eat gluten which cuts out 99% of cool treats and has issues with milk {sounds like a fun girl, no?}. What if, on top of this, she also likes organic products? That cuts out most ice creams, slushes and anything else that would give one a nice brain freeze.

Thank goodness for Laloo’s Goat Milk Ice Cream. Sound strange? Tastes amazing. And why wouldn’t it? The goats lead a happy life on over 300 acres in Sonoma Valley California so they produce the sweetest tasting ice cream with all organic, natural, wonderful ingridents.

The woman who runs Laloo’s used to be a big corproate wig dig who, on a trip to Italy, discovered her passion for cheese making. She gave up her career to make ice cream instead and lead the slow, healthy, natural life.

I dare you to not love the fig ice cream. It is absolutely amazing. And should you have issues with milk, chances are this will be fine. It is for me; especially during this heat wave.

It’s a little more expensive but it’s worth it, regardless if you have allergies or not. You’re support an artisan creamery and there’s something wonderful about that. You know where your food is coming from and you’re supporting an idea so it’s money well spent. Think about that the next time you buy some chemicle filled cream that’s from a big storage facility in DC.

BUY AT: LARABAR

Apple pie in a bar? Cinnamon roll in a bar? Or how about a little cherry? Sounds good, doesn’t it? But if you’re health conscious you might ask yourself how many chemicals make up this apple pie? If you have a food allergy you might assume that surely something in it will make you sick and if you’re calorie counting your thighs start expanding at the mere mention of the name.

But if your bars are LARABAR, have no fear. Made from very simple, organic ingredients (cashews, dates, unsweetened fruits and spices), LARABARS come in fabulous flavours that don’t taste fake nor leave those very disturbing after tastes. They deliver energy without chemicals or a tonne of calories and the best part? The unprocessed, uncooked, no added sugar added bars are all non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan and kosher!

My current addiction is the Cinnamon Roll bar. All the flavour without the hassle of baking. Ok, your kitchen doesn’t smell like your grandmums when eating but you can at least throw these in a bag for a quick afternoon pick me up that won’t have you crashing like the sugar infested buns.

So stop trying to digest bars full of stuff that will leave you feeling blah. You won’t regret going simple.

BUY AT: Chocolove & Whole Foods

I can’t believe it’s taken me three years to mention this as it’s my absolute favourite chocolate of all time (well, that I can get in America). Made in Belgium, this chocolate is the real deal. My favourite? Gingerlove with bits of crystalised ginger. Not a fan of that flavour? No worries – try it with real raspberries or oranges. And if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on the vintage flavours, do. It’s incredible!

So much iron, fiber, antioxidants and all around yummyness, this is the only chocolate one should eat (and eat often). Found at Whole Foods and Wild Oats it’s something I cannot be without. I’m considering buying it buy the box.

And to top off the love, each bar comes wrapped in a poem. Healthy, lovely, and charming, too. Perfect for a gift, or for a pick me up, or just because.